by David Flint
Five people were lucky to survive an early morning crash into a guard rail in North Stephentown last Saturday, August 22. It happened on Route 22 directly across the road from the intersection with West Road.
Stephentown Fire Chief Rich Burgess reported that the SVFD received a call just after 4 am. Assistant Chief Rik McClave arrived on the scene to find a car had crashed violently into the guard rail, with the guard rail cable having smashed the windshield. Realizing he had at least five victims on his hands, he called for additional ambulances and a rescue truck from Berlin. He also called for a Med-Flight Helicopter from Albany, but they were unable to fly because of weather problems.
Two of the five people in the car were transported by County Ambulance, one by the Stephentown Rescue Squad and one by the Berlin Rescue Squad. All were taken to Berkshire Medical Center, two with serious injuries and two with minor injuries. One occupant of the car was examined by a crew from the Lebanon Valley Protective Association but refused medical treatment.
According to Sgt. Marc St.Germain of the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office, the cause of the accident was driver inattention. There was no indication that alcohol was involved. The driver of the 1993 Saturn, Jami DeShane Stevens, 22, a resident of Berlin, was the one who apparently was not injured and refused treatment. St.Germain said DeShane stated that she was distracted listening to music and did not notice she had come to the end of West Road and so drove through the stop sign and right across the intersection. Passengers were listed as Katie Homiak, 21, Nicholas Homiak, 23, Michael Minkler, 22, and Karen Mather, 49. St.Germain said since there had been no report back from the hospital, he believed that none of the injuries were life threatening.
Trig Tomlinson of the West Stephentown Baptist Church, who responds to many accidents, said he believed there have been several accidents at that intersection with drivers reporting that when coming around a curve on West Road and up a hill, they suddenly find that they have “run out of road” and sail through the stop sign. Chief Burgess noted, too, that there have been similar accidents at this location. He said a request will be made to review the signage at and approaching the intersection.